Penny Lane

The seaside hamlet of Gordon’s Bay, set against the back drop of the Hottentots Holland Mountains on the shores of False Bay, just 10 minutes drive from us at Penny Lane Lodge, will once again be transformed into a wonderful fairyland of lights during the Winter Wonderland Festival from 29 June to 1

Last Saturday the Western Cape Watercolour Group held it’s new in-house competition: “New Signatures”.  Previous prize winners from any of our Across the Palette, Little Gems and Annual Merit exhibition selections over the past five years were excluded from the competition to encourage other people

Selection day for the Western Cape Watercolour Group’s annual Across the Palette exhibition took place on the morning of Saturday 21 April.  18 of our artists put in a total of 49 paintings, of which 42 were selected by our three eminent judges: Derric van Rensburg, Di Ackerman and Lara Faasen. Firs

Today sees the start of a long holiday weekend with two public holidays coming up either side of the weekend. Freedom Day is celebrated on 27 April. This was the day in 1994 when the first democratic election was held in South Africa, when all adult citizens could vote irrespective of race or colour

The annual South African Cheese Festival will be held over the coming holiday weekend on 27-30 April 2012 at Sandringham Estate in Stellenbosch (on the N1 halfway between Cape Town and Paarl). It’s a great day out for all the family and less than half an hour’s drive from us here at Penny Lane Lodge

Less than half an hour from our guest house, Penny Lane Lodge, the Green Mountain Eco Route is easily accessible via the N2 past Sir Lowry’s Pass. The Green Mountain Eco Route combines attractions including wine farms, activities, events, accommodations, restaurants, wedding & conference venues. It

It’s just over 7 days ago to the start of this world famous event… The 43rd consecutive Old Mutual Two Oceans Ultra Marathon attracts the cream of local and international athletes, offering a tough challenge against a backdrop of spectacular scenery.  It has earned a reputation as the world’s most b

In present day South Africa, 21 March is celebrated as a public holiday throughout the country.  It is the day on which people remember the the Sharpeville Massacre and  celebrate South Africa’s democratic government enforcing equal human rights The holiday also commemorates the establishment of the

Here is another of my friend Rose’s specialities: pickled fish. In the Cape Malay tradition the dish is prepared for Easter. Rose uses either snoek or yellowtail, but any firm fleshed white fish will be fine. One thing which Rose was very keen to emphasise is that the onions must be firm and crunchy

A few months ago, the Friends of Helderberg Nature Reserve approached me offering the Western Cape Watercolour Group the opportunity to exhibit some of our art work up at the local Nature Reserve. Of course, we were delighted. It is such a beautiful setting: a vast untouched natural landscape rising